Gravitational toy



May 19, 1925.

W. E. SEARS YGRAVITATIONAL TOY Filed June 1924 ATTORNEY I WITNESS:

Patenteditday it), 1925.

eArENroFFicE.

WILLIAIVI E; SEARS, OF EUREKA, KANSAS.

GRA'VITATIONAL TOY.

Application filed d June 6,

To all arr/ 10m it may concern:

Be it known that I, l VILLIAM E. Seaman citizen of the United States, residing at Eureka, in the county of Greenwood and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in G 'avitational Toys, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive and entertaining gravitational toy adapted to be used in conjunction with a string and calculated to afford considerable amusement'to children.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the

invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed. In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilicatio11:-

Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating my novel toy as suspended from and adapted to (Io-operate with a string maintained in inclined position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the toy per se.

Figure 3 is an edge elevation taken at right angles to Figure 2.

Similar numerals of reference. designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

In Figure 1, I illustrate a stringl which may be maintained in inclined position in any appropriate manner, as for instance, by an operator holding one end of the string at a considerable height above the fioor while the opposite end of the string is connected to a chair rung or the like.

My novel toy among other elements comprises a body 2 which. i'nay be of any appropriate material and may be made to simulate the body of a monkey as illustrated, or the body of a man or any animal, though the simulation is not necessary inasmuch as the said body is adapted to serve as a pendulum member. When, however, the member 2 is made in simulation of a monkey or man it is preferably provided with hinged legs 3 as illustrated, the said hinged legs being calculated to increase the interest of a child. In the preferred embodiment of my invention the body 2 for the sake of cheapness is formed of wood and the legs 3 are struck from sheet metal, and are pivotally connected at at to the lower portion of the body, and stops 4 are provided to limit swinging movements of the legs. I

1924. Serial No. "H8369.

Pivotally connected at 5 to the body 2 and arranged at one side of the body isan arm. 6 with a hook 7 at its upper end to engage the string 1. It will also be noticed that a stop pi1r8 is provided on the body 201' rather on the head 2, surmounting the'body 2, and arranged back of the arm 6. Pivotally connected at 5 to the opposite side of the body 6 is an arm 9 with a hook 10 at its upper end to engage the string 1. For cooperation with this arm 9 the body 2 is provided at 11 with a stop pin, best shown in Figure 2. The heel end of the arm 9 is provided at 12 with an abutment, and the said abutment is engaged by the upper end of a spring strip 13, the lower endof which is connected at 14 in fixed manner to the side of the body 2. I

In the practical use of my improvement, the toy operates after the manner of a pendulum the force of gravity being utilized to cause the body 2 to swing to and fro, and the arms 6 and 9 being moved step by step down the string in simulation of a man hanging by his hands from an inclined cable and working his way down the same.

The body of my novel toy may be made of wood, tin, lead or any other appropriate material in the discretion of the manufacturer.

Irrespective of whether the body 2 represents a human being or an animal, the body may be equipped with hinged legs and the legs provided with hooks similar to the hooks 7 and 10 so as to render the legs capable of working their way down an inclined string in the same manner as the arms. A stop and spring may also be provided on the body for one leg and for the same purpose as the stop 1.1 and spring [3 complementary to the arm 9 and arranged so that the figure when swinging by hooks on its legs will swing backward downthe string.

The stops complementary to the legs prevent the legs swinging to an extent as to interfere with the pendulum action in its movement to lift the arm 9.

The hooks described permit thestring to wedge which increases friction and prevents the hooks from sliding on the string.

Appropriately attached to therear corner portion of the body 2 is a resilient or springy tail 15, and carried at theextremity of said tail 15 is a bell 16. The saidspringy tail is manifestly adapted to gain momentum and contribute materially to the pendulumac tion of the body and is also calculated to enhance the value of the pendulum member as an amusement device.

I have entered into a detailed description.

of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the invention various changes and modifications may be made such as fall within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claims.

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:-

1. A gravitational toy adapted to be used on and in conjunction with an inclined string; the said toy comprising a body, limbs the abutment of said limb, a stop on the body and in front of said limb, and a stop on the body and back of the other limb.

2. A gravitational toy adapted to be used on and in conjunction with an inclined string; the said toy comprising a body, limbs pivoted thereto and having string-engaging hooks at their ends, one of said limbs also having an abutment at its heel, a spring strip carried by the body and acting against the abutment of said limb, a stop on the body and in front ofthc said'limb, and a stop on the body and back of the other limb; the

said body being shaped in simulation of the body of a man or animal and being equipped with pendent limbs adjacent to its lower end. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

WILLIAM E. SEARS. 

